[notch656a]

>The correlation between poverty levels and obesity are also well studied and are not uniquely american. Although the trends don't hold for developing countries where the poor are often on their feet all day.

Is it possible the kind of self-discipline needed to prevent yourself from over-eating is more heartily rewarded economically in the US than in some of the particularly impoverished nations where only a tiny fraction escape poverty? I don't know, but it's worth noting the causative direction could influence going from obesity to poverty, poverty to obesity, neither, or even merely correlative dependent variables caused by some other 3rd stimulus.

[spywaregorilla]

No. And again, not uniquely american but rather common to pretty much all developed countries. Rural poor individuals are typically doing hard labor all day. Urban poor individuals are typically sitting in a chair.